


Couple's Retreat

by alecmagnuslwb



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, just a fluffy little au, meet cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecmagnuslwb/pseuds/alecmagnuslwb
Summary: Magnus never would have guessed that he'd end up not being the only single person at a couple's resort.Update: I wrote a little sequel to this for flufftober, which you can readhere.





	Couple's Retreat

“So, it’s just you?” the woman behind the resort counter says squinting at Magnus questioningly.

“Yes,” he sighs frustratedly. “I know how it sounds a single guy at a couple’s resort, but I bought this when I wasn’t single. So now thanks to your no refunds policy I’m here to try and at least salvage some of my money out of this whole thing.”

Eight months ago, Magnus had gone all in on the purchase of this trip, paid for every cent of it so he and his then girlfriend could have a nice retreat away from the city on a beautiful Hawaiian island. Everything about it seemed picture perfect that is until he caught her in bed with another man in his apartment. Needless to say, the trip was effectively cancelled in that moment. Or it would have been if he could have just gotten his money back.

The woman holds her hands up in defense, apologetic. “Sorry if I sounded rude, we just don’t get a lot of single people here and you’re the second one we’ve had today weirdly,” she says handing him his room key with a smile.

“Really?” he asks, dumbfounded by the prospect. He assumed he’d be an outlier at this five-day getaway, assumed most other people who bought things like this had either more secure relationships or couple friends that weren’t workaholics that could take their place.

“Really,” she says with no further information. “Enjoy your stay and here’s your itinerary for the next five days, if you have any questions feel free to call us down here at the front desk at any time.”

Magnus nods looking down at the depressing itinerary the resort had set up for them, couples’ massages, dances, scuba lessons and a million other things he’d rather not do alone. It’s likely he’ll skip out on most of it and get his real money’s worth at the open bar.

***

The open bar, Magnus decides instantly is great. He’d managed to avoid the entire first day of events sleeping away most of it, day two had gone much of the same way and now on day three he’d sequestered himself at the pool until the sun started to set and the quaint outdoor bar called his name.

The drinks are all ridiculous fruity things that Magnus usually wouldn’t bother with, more of a martini man himself, but they’re doing an excellent job of getting him just on the pleasant side of buzzed so he can’t complain. Magnus spins around on his barstool surveying the room with his lips wrapped around the straw of some pineapple vodka concoction. There are a few couples scattered here and there, but most of them have come and gone, back to their rooms or down to the beach for a late-night romantic stroll.

It all makes Magnus sigh as he finishes his drink, swiveling back to get the bartender’s attention and order another.  It’s not that he misses Camille, he absolutely doesn’t. Their nearly two-year relationship had been a series of landmines that he’d been blind to for far too long, but he does miss having someone, having the idea of that companionship, even if Camille had never really been any of that at all.

The bartender slides him his new drink moving down a couple stools as someone takes a seat.

“Is it possible to just order a whiskey here?” a deep delicious voice says which gains Magnus’ attention.

Magnus turns to look at the owner of the voice seated just two stools down and he nearly drops his drink. Because, wow, this man is gorgeous. The dictionary definition of tall, dark and handsome. Magnus can only see him in profile, but that alone is artwork to behold all jawline and long dark lashes. The bartender says something and the man nods in thanks some of his nice dark hair falling into his eyes that he brushes back.

“You know,” Magnus says not totally in control of his flirtatious tone, he really shouldn’t be flirting with someone at a couples resort no matter how beautiful that someone may be. “Despite it’s ridiculous name the Pineapple of Penzance is a pretty good drink.” He finishes lifting up his drink as the man turns to face him.

A smile quirks up at the edge of the mans very pretty lips as his eyes meet Magnus’. Eyes that are a gorgeous shade of hazel that Magnus would very much like to spend an evening drowning in.

“I’m sure it is,” the man says. “But if I’m expected to get through these next couple days, I’m gonna need something a lot stronger.”

The bartender slides the man his drink and Magnus watches as his left hand picks it up and downs it all in one go, nodding to the bartender for a refill. He also pointedly notices the lack of a ring on that left hand, which as the tiny voice in the back of his mind reminds him doesn’t mean a thing. He should really end this conversation now. He doesn’t, he’s allowed to befriend someone he reasons out with himself.

“Guessing this trip was your girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s idea and not yours?” Magnus asks.

The man snorts and on most people, it would be an ugly sounding thing but for some reason coming from him it’s not.

“Definitely not my idea and most definitely no girlfriend,” he says with a somewhat disgusted look on his face as he takes his refilled glass and turns back to Magnus. “Or boyfriend, or anything. Just a very annoying brother who likes to meddle in my life.”

Magnus raises an eyebrow at that, which the man takes as the invitation it is to explain further.

“A few months ago, my brother decided that I was too single for my own good and thought the way to cure that was to buy a couple’s trip for me to encourage me to get a boyfriend,” the man explains pausing to take a fairly large gulp from his whiskey. “It didn’t work, I’m still very single and he’s an exhausting little shit who refused to just come here with his girlfriend in my place, so here I am drinking alone because of a ridiculous no refunds policy.”

That’s when Magnus remembers what the front desk girl had said when he’d arrived about him not being the only single person there. This man is the other sad single at a couple’s resort, this man who is gorgeous and judging from his words and that disgusted look at the idea of him having a girlfriend is very much gay.

“Wait, did he charge you for your own unwanted trip?”

The man nods, sipping down more of his whiskey, “Stole my credit card.”

“Wow,” Magnus says, running his fingers along the edge of his drink which the man’s gaze drops down to then quickly back up almost like he’s scared to be caught looking.

The man clears his throat gaze shifting back to his drink, “Yeah, suffice to say that I used to have three siblings, but when I get home, I’ll only have two.”

Magnus chuckles at that, the serious, but also fond tone the man uses endearing.

“What about you?” tall, dark and handsome asks as he finishes his second whiskey nodding for a third. “Left your partner to midnight luau alone?”

“I would never,” he says mock offended pressing a hand to his chest dramatically. “I too am a victim of no refunds actually. Except in my case it wasn’t a meddling sibling but a cheating girlfriend that led me here.”

The man pauses with his drink midway to his lips, looking sympathetic, but not pitying which Magnus appreciates it.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

“Don’t be,” Magnus waves off truly meaning it. “It was months ago and frankly a long time coming, that relationship was long dead before she cheated. I do however wish I could have realized that before I paid for this.”

The man hums in agreement sipping at his third whiskey a little slower than the first two.

“I probably should have known better though, I’ve never had much luck with women or men,” he says pointedly emphasizing the word men.

The man’s head perks up at the emphasis. “I’m sure that’s not true,” he says lowly.

“Kind of is,” Magnus shrugs nonplussed with a flirty smile. Because hey, flirting is definitely allowed here now.

“Well, they’re stupid then,” the man says taking a sip of whiskey. “Anyone who has someone as beautiful as you and walks away is just downright stupid.”

Magnus smiles as the man’s eyes widen like he hadn’t meant to say all that out loud.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” he quickly scrambles downing the rest of his drink nervously. “The whiskey must have hit me faster than I thought.”

“Don’t be sorry, I quite like being called beautiful by beautiful men,” Magnus says which makes the man smile tilting his head down a bit shyly. Magnus slides his drink over and hops down from his barstool breaching the distance of a seat between them. “I’m Magnus,” he says as he gets comfortable in his new stool reaching out a hand. “Magnus Bane.”

“Alec Lightwood,” he replies grasping Magnus’ hand in a warm hold. The handshake lasts a little longer than any perfunctory introductory handshake should but Magnus doesn’t mind it in the slightest, and judging from the way Alec’s eyes won’t leave his it’s safe to say he doesn’t mind either.

“Short for Alexander?” Magnus asks once their hands finally part.

“Yeah, but nobody really calls me that.”

“Well, they’re stupid then,” Magnus says with a smirk stopping the bartender to order two pineapple drinks this time.

They talk the night away at the bar, closing it down, Alec reluctantly drinking a few pineapple drinks and not so secretly enjoying them. Alec’s not just a pretty face, that becomes very clear quite quickly, he’s smart and witty and a man who values family above all else. Alec laughs when Magnus tells him about how he’d avoided all the itinerary events of the first three days here, admitting he’s been doing the same exact thing. Magnus takes a leap suggesting they avoid it all together for the last two days and Alec quickly agrees.

They talk about their friends, Magnus complaining, but really not complaining after this turn of events about Catarina and Ragnor being unwilling to take a break and go on this trip in his stead. They talk about their jobs, Alec working for a non-profit that helps homeless teens and Magnus for a biotech company, Magnus doesn’t talk about his job a lot most people find the science speak he blabs on about boring, but Alec seems to hang onto every word.  The conversation dips into sillier, smaller things which leads to a fumbling exchange of phone numbers that makes them realize home for both of them is New York City.

“So, we live like six blocks away from one another and didn’t manage to meet till we were both in Hawaii?” Alec says with a smile and a disbelieving shake of his head.

New York is a big city, plenty of people never meet each other, Magnus knows that, but somehow with this bright new connection in front of him he thinks there was a bigger picture at play that just been biding its time.

So, Magnus smiles right back, “I guess fate was just waiting for the right time.”

The hazel in Alec’s eyes seems brighter when he says it. The twinkling string lights from behind the bar reflecting in them. And for the first time in eight months, Magnus is glad he spent thousands of dollars on this couple’s retreat.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be a little longer with the extra two days they spend together, but it's been in my drafts completed as is for ages and I didn't see myself adding more. Hopefully it's cute anyways!
> 
> As always find me on tumblr: alecmagnuslwb


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